A look at the events leading up to the 1973 tennis match between retired men's champ Bobby Riggs and the current women's Wimbledon winner Billie Jean King.
What followed was a high-stakes game between King and Riggs that gives the film - which really benefits from a wealth of archive footage and a great soul soundtrack - its title and a climax that’s just as thrilling as the Ali/Foreman Rumble in the Jungle that came a few years later.
The film does a decent job of teasing this out, as well as providing a fascinating history of the sport and the struggle by King and her contemporaries to be taken seriously as athletes.
Whether you know the outcome of the match or not, this is a real crowd-pleaser in the best possible way.
It is a great story, deftly told and a wonderful testament to what an inspirational figure Billie Jean King has been.
A fascinating excavation of a crossover sports/pop culture moment from the early 70s.
Anyone watching Wimbledon will only have their enjoyment of the game enhanced by this vibrant history lesson. Game, set and match.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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